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Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an original direct-to-video animated film released on February 23, 2010. It is based on the abandoned direct to video feature, Justice League: Worlds Collide, which was intended as a bridge between the then-concluding Justice League animated television series and its then forthcoming sequel series Justice League Unlimited. The film's character designs share similarities with the then upcoming series Young Justice while retaining story elements and the foundation of the TV series Justice League. The movie project was shelved because of insufficient staff to produce the movie and the TV show simultaneously. The Justice League Watchtower - World's Collide Crisis on Two Earths was reworked from the Worlds Collide script to remove any physical references to the TV series' continuity. toonzone forums - View Single Post - "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" News & Discussion Thread (Spoilers) While it physically avoids being lumped in with the TV series, the script is 95% intact. The premise of Crisis on Two Earths is borrowed from the 1964 Gardner Fox-scripted Justice League of America #29–30 as well as the 1999 Grant Morrison JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel, with a heroic Lex Luthor from an alternate universe coming to the Justice League's universe for help against the Crime Syndicate, but it is not an adaptation of either story. The film is the seventh in the line of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line released by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation. The film was repackaged not to be released as a DCAU production, nor is it connected in any way to the previously released Justice League animated film; Justice League: The New Frontier. The two-disc special edition also includes an animated short featuring the Spectre as well as "A Better World", a 2003 two-episode tale from the Justice League television series which featured the Justice Lords. Plot The movie begins in a alternate universe where Lex Luthor (Chris Noth) and a heroic analogue to The Joker named The Jester (James Patrick Stuart) are securing a piece of technology at a secret lair of the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice League. After securing the unknown device, Luthor and The Jester attempt to escape, only to have the Jester sacrifice himself while killing J'edd J'arkus, a Martian Manhunter analogue, and Angelique, a Hawkgirl analogue. Luthor is then confronted by the Syndicate, only to escape to the Earth of the heroic Justice League. Once there, he recruits the League to help save his Earth from the Syndicate, who have taken control of all crime on Earth and systematically eliminated Luthor's League one by one. After a passionate debate, the Justice League decides to help Luthor despite their mistrust and misgivings. Batman stays behind arguing the League is spread too thin to solve the problems of their own world, let alone Luthor's. Luthor transports the remaining members of the League to his universe, while Batman stays behind to finish rebuilding the Watchtower. The League encounters a parallel world where Slade Wilson is President of the United States. The world is being extorted by the Crime Syndicate, and the only thing holding the Syndicate in check is the threat of nuclear retaliation by the nations of the world against their base on the Moon. Owlman is building a weapon, the Quantum Eigenstate Device or QED, that can presumably destroy entire cities, which the Syndicate intends to use as the equalizer to the nuclear threat of the world's governments. When pressed by his romantic interest, Superwoman, Owlman admits the weapon can destroy entire worlds. Operating under the theory that there are many parallel Earths, and that each one develops from our choices, he begins seeking Earth-Prime, the first Earth. Owlman, a nihilist, believes that the only choice not invalidated by the creation of a counter-posed universe is to end the multiverse itself. Superwoman notes that even as a "murdering psychopath", she thinks Owlman is more insane than she is. He is stopped by Batman at the last moment, who sends him to an uninhabited world that is harmlessly destroyed. Owlman has had the opportunity to disarm the QED before it explodes, but does nothing, saying "it doesn't matter", placing a Q.E.D. on his nihilist philosophy. Cast DCAU elements Justice League: Worlds Collide was reportedly intended to tie together Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Despite a heavy rewrite, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths still contains some elements that bridge the gap between the series finale of Justice League and the revamping of the show: * The Justice League has six core members, as it was after Hawkgirl leaving in "Starcrossed." * Hal Jordan takes the place of John Stewart. It's possible that he was a proxy, seeing as how Green Lanterns can fill in for other members. * The League is assembling new Watchtower following the destruction of the Watchtower in "Starcrossed;" * They have also just finished building and testing the teleporter. * Wonder Woman addresses Batman by his real name. The League's secret identities were revealed to each other in "Starcrossed, Part II"; * Wonder Woman keeps Owlman's jet, which gets stuck in "chameleon mode". This explains the Invisible Jet she used in Justice League Unlimited. * Batman explains to Superman how they are "understaffed." He brings in Aquaman (in his traditional costume), Black Canary, Red Tornado, Black Lightning and Firestorm to fight Superwoman and company aboard the Watchtower and keeps them around to start expanding the League. * Flash very clearly appears to be Wally West, specifically based upon the DCAU version; his character model and facial expressions are very similar, despite the different styles. Of course, a similar model is used in 'Young Justice', later on, however being clear that Barry Allen is the Flash there. * Green Lantern mentions that Flash has a car, which appeared in earlier episodes of Justice League.